Process and apparatus for wasping yarn



July 25, 1967 R DAVIS ETAL PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR WASPING YARN Filed July 50, 1965 mvzzmoas A'1TORNEY5 United States Patent 3,332,125 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR WASPING YARN Ralph G. Davis and Alphonso K. Welch, High Point,

N.C., assignors to Burlington Industries, Inc, Greensboro, N.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 30, 1965, Ser. No. 476,035 17 Claims. (Cl. 28-1) The present invention relates to an improvement in process and apparatus for treating yarn or thread, and, more particularly, to an improved wasping process and wasping apparatus for the bulking or texturizing of yarns in 'a slubbing type operation wherein the yarns are given alternate heavy and light bulk sections which are of increased and decreased denier.

While the present invention primarily relates to a process and apparatus for textnrizing or making novelty yarns, such as core bulked yarns with multiple ends, the wasping process and apparatus can also be utilized to make a seed yarn. Also, a great variety of smooth, enlarged filament patterns can be achieved through the novel method and apparatus for controlling the bulking.

Heretofore, bulking or texturizing of yarns has been accomplished by passing the yarns through an air jet member where the yarn is subjected to an air jet at sufficiently high pressure and volume to cause fibers or filaments of the yarn to occupy more space than similar fibers or filaments in normal yarn; To control the variation in the bulking, the tension on the yarn passing through the air jet member was varied or the rate of speed of the yarn passing through the air jet member was changed so as to give a change in the pattern effect of the finished yarn. Additionally, it had been suggested that air supplied to the jet member could be intermittently interrupted so that one section of the yarn was bulked whereas the next section was not bulked.

In the present invention an improved simplified method and apparatus has been developed for controlling the air or other fluid under pressure to the jet member whereby wasping is accomplished so as to provide alternate heavy and light bulking, throughout the length of the yarn, the process and apparatus also providing for the control of a great variety of patterns of light and heavy bulk sections with random lengths for the sections. Additionally, the light and heavy bulk sections of a particular pattern can each have varying lengths. Therefore, an important object of the present invention is to provide an improved process and apparatus for controlling and alternately varying the pressure and volume of air or other fluid to which the yarn is subjected.

Ancillary to the preceding object, it is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for varying the frequency and length of application of air at diflerential pressures and volumes to the yarn while the yarn is moving at a constant rate of speed through a bulking chamber. By not having to vary the rate of speed of the yarn, complex and expensive equipment is eliminated from the wasping of yarn.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved system for texturizing yarn in an air jet where the yarn, at all times, is subjected to air or other fluid under a pressure and volume sufiicient at least to provide a light or reduced bulk, the pressure and volume of air or other fluid being periodically increased to provide for a high bulk.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a single air jet member with two sources of air under differential pressure and volume, one of the sources being controlled by throttling and continuously supplied to the 3,332,125 Patented July 25, 1967 air jet member, whereas the other source is periodically and selectively added to or taken away from the first source.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved programming for wasping yarn to produce alternate light and heavy bulk in a desired pattern for length of each as well as expansion of the fibers or filaments of each.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a process and apparatus for controlling the luster of light bulk sections of yarn which has heavy and light bulk sections.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully in the following specification, claims and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of the improved apparatus of the present invention for carrying out the improved process;

FIGURE 2 is a schematic view of the air jet member and the means for controlling the pressure and volume of air supplied thereto; and 7 FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of one embodiment of finished yarn made according to the present invention and illustrating the alternate heavy and light bulk of different lengths.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals or characters represent like or similar parts, the apparatus of the present invention is best illustrated in FIGURE 1 where there is disclosed a yarn package 10 having yarn thereon to be processed, the package being suitably supported on a yarn holder or support member 12. While the yarn holder 12 is described as holding a single yarn package 10, it will be appreciated that one or more yarn packages may be supported on the yarn package holder 12 for feed to and through similar bulking equipment subsequently described. For the purpose of simplicity in describing the operation and function of the apparatus, the same will be described only with respect to yarn being delivered from a single yarn package 10 to the bulking equipment.

Yarn Y from the yarn package 10 is fed upwardly through a pigtail guide 14 suitably supported by a bracket 16 carried on a horizontally extending support member 18. The yarn Y extends from the pigtail 14 through a spring loaded tension device 20 also carried by the bracket 16. The spring loaded tension device 20 is of the conventional type having opposed discs through which the yarn is fed, one of the discs being spring urged toward the other. A yarn guide member 22 carried by the bracket 16 and positioned above the spring loaded tension device 20 is provided with a plurality of yarn guide grooves 24 therein. Yarn Y feeding from the tension device 20 passes about one of these grooves in a generally upwardly direction toward feeding means.

In more detail, the feeding means includes a pair of vertically spaced positively driven rollers 26 and 28, the rollers 26 and 28 having positioned therebetween a spacing guide 30 with a plurality of grooves 32 therein. Rollers 26 and 28 are journaled in a drive box 34 which is operatively driven by a suitable source of power such as the variable speed electric motor 36. The yarn Y passing upwardly from the grooves 24 of the yarn guide 22 extends over" the top roller 28 and downwardly and around the lower roller 26 and back up and over the upper roller 28 four times and then is directed upwardly over a horizontally extending chrome plated steel rod positioned above the feeding means to an air jet member 42.

The stationary separator guide 36 maintains the proper spacings between the loops of the yarn when it is wrapped about the feed rollers 26 and 28 and being moved by the same. The gear box 34 supporting the feed rollers 26 and 28 as well as the stationary separator guide 30 may be suitably supported from a horizontally extending support member 43 which along with the member 18 as well as a third horizontally extending support member 44 generally form part of the frame of the apparatus.

The yarn Y after passing through the air jet member 42 is identified in the drawings as processed yarn PY and is discharged therefrom with alternate heavy bulked sections H and light bulked sections L as shown in FIG- URE 3. From the air jet member 42 the processed yarn PY extends under a ceramic guide finger 46 supported on a plate member 48 carried on the horizontally extending support member 44. The plate member 48 also carries a first tension disc unit 50 and a second tension disc unit 52. Both tension disc units 50 and 5.2 are arranged on vertical axes so that the yarn PY goes through the same in a horizontal plane. Because of this, the tension disc units 50 and 52 are supported generally at the same elevation as the air jet member 42. Each of the tension disc units 50' and 52 have weighted discs 54 and 56 for applying a predetermined tension to the processed yarn PY passing about the same from the ceramic guide finger 46 and then back under the ceramic guide finger and upward to a traverse guide 58 movable back and forth in a horizontal plane as shown. Immediately prior to the processed yarn PY passing into the traverse guide 58, it passes over a chrome plated horizontally extending steel rod 60 suitably supported in the frame of the apparatus.

The processed yarn PY extends from the traverse guide 58 and to a take-up package 62 suitably carried in bearings 64 supported on the frame of the apparatus. The take-up package 62 is rotated by a surface contact with a positively driven steel roller 66 suitably journaled by bearings 68 carried on the frame. The roller 66, as shown in the drawings, may be driven positively by the variable speed electric motor 36 at a predetermined adjusted constant speed and it in turn can be utilized through a suitable drive diagrammatically represented by the broken line 70 to also drive the previously mentioned feed rollers 26 and 28 through their gear box 34 in a timed sequence therewith.

In the apparatus thus far described, the input tension of the yarn Y to the air jet member 42 is controlled by the tension applied to the yarn at the spring loaded tension device 20. The disc tension units 50 and 52 control the tension on the processed yarn PY delivered from the air jet member 42 as it is wound onto the take-up packages 62 and thus controls the density of the processed yarn on the take-up package. The speed of rotation of the take-up package 62 as determined by the roller 66 is coordinated through the common drive with the speed of the feed rollers 26 and 28 and this will exercise a control over the expansion of filaments to form the light bulk section L and the heavy bulk section H. However, it will be appreciated that while the electric motor 36 may be of the variable speed type, it is run at a constant speed for a particular pattern and thus the yarn passing through the air jet member 42 will move at a constant rate of speed during the processing of a particular pattern of heavy and light or reduced bulk. By having the speed of yarn constant when travelling through the air jet member 42, the bulking of the yarn is controlled primarily by the changing of the pressure and volume of air and, thus, is much more uniform. Changing the speed of the yarn to another constant speed merely changes the time for repeating the pattern of bulking rather than changing the pattern itself. The control of and changing of the pattern itself will now be described in detail.

An air header pipe or manifold 72 which has air therein under a high predetermined pressure from a suitable source of supply (not shown) supplies the air to the air jet member 42. Control of pressure and volume of the air from the air header 72 to air jet member 42 is critical to the present invention and will be described later in the specification. The air jet member 42 may be of the conventional type in that it is a block-like member having the usual bulking chamber through which the yarn passes and where it is treated by the air delivered thereto in a jet stream under a particular pressure and volume. The yarn Y is fed through an adjustable U-shaped needle 74 into the bulking chamber of the air jet member 42, the U-shaped needle 74 being adjustable by a thumb screw 76 for controlling the depth of the light and heavy bulk within the desired quality for the particular yarn.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, conduit means generally designated at 77 supply the air from the header pipe or manifold 72 to the air jet member 42 at its common inlet 78. The air conduit means 77 includes a first conduit 80 and a second conduit 82, the second conduit 82 by-passing at least a portion of the first conduit 80 as shown in FIGURE 2. The first conduit 80 intermediate the ends of the second conduit 82, is provided with a valve 84 actuated by a solenoid 86 between a fully open and a fully closed position. The second conduit 82 is provided with a throttling valve 88 controlled by a set screw 90, the throttling permitting air at a predetermined pressure and volume to continuously flow to the air jet member 42, when yarn is passing therethrough.

Solenoid 86 which controls actuation of valve 84, is in an electrical circuit 92, the circuit having a pair of mercury switches 94 and 96 arranged therein in parallel. The mercury switches 94 and 96 are normally open and when either is closed, the solenoid 86 is energized to open the valve 84 and permit the flow of air under line pressure or a predetermined pressure less than line pressure to the air jet member 42. This fiow of air through the conduit 80 supplements the constant flow of air at a predetermined pressure and volume as regulated by the throttling valve 88 so that when the solenoid opens the valve 84 there is the pressure in the line 82 as well as pressure in the line 80 being applied to the common inlet 78 of the air jet member 42. The circuit 92 for the solenoid 86 includes lines 98 directly from the solenoid to an outlet 100 in a plugboard molding 102.

Switches 94 and 96 are closed when engaged by pegs P extending from a pattern wheel 104 carried on the end of a drive shaft 106 of a variable speed electric motor 108 as best shown in FIGURE 1. The pattern wheel 104 has a plurality of the pegs P extending from its periphery, some of the pegs being arranged in a plane to engage the switch 94 with other of the pegs being arranged in another plane to engage the switch 96. The pattern wheel 104 may be provided with a plurality of holes in two separate planes on its periphery for receiving the ends of the pegs P. In place of the holes 105, the pattern wheel 104 may be provided with undercut grooves for adjustably receiving the ends of the pegs. By suitable positioning of pegs P in the periphery of the pattern wheel 104, the frequency of the opening and closing of the switches 94 and 96 as well as the time which the switches remain open or closed can be controlled to provide a particular pattern of heavy bulk H or light bulk L on the processed yarn PY. Also the time for repeating the pattern can be changed by changing the rheostat 110 so as to change the speed of rotation for the drive shaft of the motor 108.

By providing the by-pass line 82 in the conduit means 77, so that air is always flowing into the air jet member 42 at a predetermined pressure and volume, the expansion of the filaments or fibers for the light bulk L of the yarn can be controlled as the pressure and volume of this air may be varied slightly by use of the throttling valve 88 so as to change the luster of the light or reduced bulk L. Any adjustment of the throttling valve 88 will cause a corresponding change in the heavy bulk H of the processed yarn PY as the total air pressure and volume entering the common inlet 78 of the air jet member 42 when the valve 84 is open will also be changed as the total air entering is always dependent upon air continuously supplied through the by-pas-s 82.

Referring to FIGURE 3 of the drawings, it will be noted that alternate sections of heavy or light bulk H and L respectively may be of different lengths. As will be understood from the above described process and apparatus, the lengths as well as the amount of bulk may easily be varied by suitable programming with the variations being practically unlimited. Thus, by the practice of the improved method and use of the improved apparatus, many different patterns can be effected, but once effected, the patterns will remain uniform throughout the run for a particular yarn.

The improved process and the improved apparatus of the present invention which have been heretofore described and illustrated in the drawings fully and effectively accomplish the foregoing objects and advantages. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that certain modifications can be made to the process or to the apparatus described without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention.

Therefore, the terminology used throughout the specification is for the purpose of description and not limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A Wasping process for producing a novelty yarn having alternate heavy and light bulk comprising the steps of: positively feeding yarn at a constant rate of speed and at a constant tension to a bulking chamber and positively taking up yarn at a constant rate of speed and at a constant tension from the bulking chamber whereby the yarn passes through the bulking chamber at a predetermined constant rate of speed and at a predetermined constant tens-ion; feeding a jet of fluid to the bulking chamber at a first predetermined pressure and volume for producing a uniform light bulk on the yarn passing through the chamber at a predetermined constant rate of speed and at a predetermined constant tension; and periodically increasing the pressure and volume of the fluid jet in the bulking chamber for producing a heavy bulk on the yarn passing through the chamber.

2. A wasping process as claimed in claim 1 including adjusting the first predetermined pressure and volume of the fluid jet to thereby vary the light bulk and also the heavy bulk on the yarn.

3. A wasping process as claimed in claim 1 including programming the length of time and the frequency of the periodic increasing of the pressure and volume of the fluid jet so as to produce a desired pattern effect of light and heavy bulk.

4. A wasping process for producing a novelty yarn having alternate heavy and light bulk comprising the steps of: positively feeding yarn at a constant rate of speed and at a constant tension to a bulking chamber and positively taking up yarn at a constant rate of speed and at a constant tension from the bulking chamber whereby the yarn passes through a bulking chamber at a predetermined constant rate of speed and at a predetermined constant tension; continuously feeding fluid at a predetermined pressure and volume to a jet in the bulking chamber from a source of fluid at a predetermined pressure for producing a uniform light bulk; and periodically increasing the overall pressure and volume of fluid issuing from the jet by additionally supplying fluid at a predetermined pressure and volume to the continuously fed fluid so that a heavy bulk is produced. 1

5. A wasping method as claimed in claim 4 in which the additional fluid is periodically pulsated to the jet from the source at the pressure of the source.

6. A wasping process as claimed in claim 4 including adjustably throttling the continuously fed fluid to change the predetermined pressure and volume to the jet so as to vary the effect of the light bulk and the heavy bulk.

7. A wasping process as claimed in claim 4 includin programming the length of time and frequencies of appli cation of the additionally supplied fluid to the jet where by a random pattern of light and heavy bulk is produce on the yarn.

8. Apparatus for producing a novelty yarn textured it have alternate sections of heavy bulk and light bulk com prising: a texturing jet member; means to positively fee yarn to said jet member and from said jet member at constant rate of speed whereby yarn passes through th jet member at a constant rate of speed; means for apply ing a predetermined tension to the yarn fed to the je member; means to apply a predetermined tension to th yarn issuing from the jet member; means for continuouslj supplying fluid at a predetermined pressure and VOlllII'll to said jet member for producing light bulk on said yarn and means for supplying additional fluid at a predeter mined pressure and volume to said jet member at periodii intervals whereby the total pressure and volume of fluii delivered to said jet member is increased sufficiently t produce heavy bulk on said yarn.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in which said mean. for continuously supplying fluid at a predetermined pres sure and volume includes an adjustable throttling valve 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim =8 in which sait means for supplying additional fluid to said feed membe: includes a solenoid actuated valve intermittently opener and closed when the solenoid is intermittently energizec and de-energized.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 including pro gramming means for determining the time and frequency of actuation of said solenoid actuated valve.

12. Apparatus for producing a novelty yarn texturec to have alternate sections of heavy bulk and light bull comprising: a texturing jet member; means to feed yarr through said jet member at a constant rate of speed; 2 source of fluid under a predetermined pressure; conduit means connecting said source of fluid under pressure tc said texturing jet member, said conduit means including 2 first conduit from said source of fluid under pressure tc said jet member and a second conduit by-passing at least a portion of said first conduit; throttling valve in saic' second conduit for continuously supplying fluid under 2 predetermined pressure and volume lower than the pressure of said source of fluid to said jet member; and ar intermittently actuated valve member in said first conduit intermediate the bypass conduit, said last mentioned intermittently actuated valve member when open causing the pressure and volume delivered to said jet member by said conduit means to be increased.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 including a solenoid operatively connected to said intermittently actuated valve member, and means for engaging said solenoid in a selected pattern of time intervals and frequency intervals.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 including means to control tension of yarn fed through said jet member.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 including means to control tension of yarn delivered from said jet member and while the yarn is wound on a take-up package.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 including a solenoid operatively connected to said intermittently actuated valve member, an electrical circuit for said solenoid, said electrical circuit having switch means therein, a pattern wheel having switch actuating elements selectively arranged on its periphery for engaging and actuating said switch means, and means for rotating said pattern wheel at a predetermined constant speed.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein said means for rotating said pattern wheel includes a variable speed electric motor.

(References on following page) 7 8 References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENTS 871,799 6/1961 Great Britain.

3,017,737 1/1962 Breen 5734 3,122,816 96 Rhoden 2 72 5 MERVIN STEIN, Plmlaly Examiner- 3,194,000 7/1965 Eldridge et a1 57-157 L. K. RIMRODT, Assistant Examiner. 

8. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A NOVELTY YARN TEXTURED TO HAVE ALTERNATE SECTIONS OF HEAVY BULK AND LIGHT BULK COMPRISING: A TEXTURING JET MEMBER; MEANS TO POSITIVELY FEED YARN TO SAID JET MEMBER AND FROM SAD JET MEMBER AT CONSTANT RATE OF SPEED WHEREBY YARN PASSES THROUGH THE JET MEMBER AT A CONSTANT RATE OF SPEED; MEANS FOR APPLYING A PREDETERMINED TENSION TO THE YARN FED TO THE JET MEMBER; MEANS TO APPLY A PREDETEMINED TENSION TO THE YARN ISSUING FROM THE JET MEMBER; MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY 